Patriots
“Coaching, playing, all three phases of the game, just wasn’t up to what it needs to be.”
“We’re on to Charlotte.”
Bill Belichick didn’t evoke any of his catchphrases or trademark blunt musings as he fielded questions from Kenan Memorial Stadium on Monday evening.
But considering the optics that played out at Chapel Hill, the legendary head coach should already be looking to turn the page after a disastrous debut as head coach of the Tar Heels.
In what stood as his first-ever game as head coach of a college-football program, Belichick and the Tar Heels were dealt a 48-14 loss to TCU in a nationally-televised broadcast.
The 48 points relinquished by the Tar Heels’ defense were the most points given up by a Belichick-coached team in a single game. In total, the Horned Frogs outgained UNC, 542-222, in total offense — with the Tar Heels only converting on 1 of 10 third-down opportunities.
“You know, we need to do a better job all the way around — coaching, playing, all three phases of the game, just wasn’t up to what it needs to be,” Belichick told reporters postgame. “I know we’re lot better than that. So we’ll need to work on those things and show it on Saturday . . . , but give TCU credit, they came in and did a good job, and they were clearly the better team tonight. They deserved to win, and they did it decisively.”
For all of the excitement emanating out of Chapel Hill since Belichick took the reins of the program nine months ago, things went south in a hurry for the former Patriots head coach and his new team on Monday.
The Tar Heels opened the game with a seven-play, 83-yard drive that ended with running back Caleb Hodd reaching the end zone in a little over four minutes into the matchup.
But TCU then rattled off 41 unanswered points — with UNC QB Gio Lopez getting knocked for a pair of turnovers (pick-six, fumble return) that directly led to 14 points for the Horned Frogs.
After UNC’s opening drive led to seven points, the Tar Heels generated just 139 total yards of offense over their next 10 drives. Lopez went two hours and seven minutes in between completions — with his third completion of the night coming at 8:17 in the third quarter.
UNC’s defense didn’t hold up much better, giving up several chunk-yardage plays on the ground. Kevorian Barnes, who finished with 113 rushing yards for TCU, opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown run that had UNC fans making their way to the exits.
Both TCU and the Big XII Conference relished the Tar Heels’ lopsided defeat — given both the heightened media coverage entering the game and some ill-advised comments from Tar Heels general manager Michael Lombardi.
“I think we all felt a little disrespected, maybe, coming in,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said postgame. “There was a lot of conversation and none of it was about us. I think we all were highly motivated. Our players were certainly excited to play.”
Back in February, Lombardi also made headlines when he referred to the revamped UNC program as an extension of the 32 teams in the NFL.
“Everything we do here is predicated on building a pro team,” Lombardi said on Feb. 28, per the Fayetteville Observer. “We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team, ’cause everybody who’s involved in our program has had some form of aspect in pro football.’”
It didn’t take long for both the Big XII and TCU to troll Belichick and the Tar Heels on social media.
“A 34-point win over the 33rd team,” the Big 12 wrote in a caption on X, while TCU Football’s X account twisted the knife over UNC’s upcoming docuseries show on Hulu.
Belichick, who agreed to a five-year deal with UNC in December 2024 after his 24-year tenure in New England came to a close, was staring at a sizable undertaking this fall.
Even with Belichick’s coaching acumen and experience, the Tar Heels have not been a collegiate powerhouse — especially coming off a 6-7 season in 2024.
Belichick’s arrival in North Carolina has created plenty of turnover on the roster, as the Tar Heels have brought in 70 new players from a year ago — including 30 transfers following spring ball.
And as the Tar Heels look to pick up the pieces entering next week’s matchup against UNC Charlotte, it’s clear that Belichick’s coaching resume alone won’t be enough to elevate his team into a juggernaut — at least not in short order.
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